What/Who Really Started the LGBT Movement?

By Susan Grant

Way back in a yonder year there were gay bars in most major cities. Back then gay bars were places of refuge where gay men, lesbians and other individuals who were considered sexually suspect could socialize in relative safety from public harassment. Many of those bars were, however, subject to regular police harassment.

One such well-known gathering place for gay men, lesbians, and transvestites was the Stonewall Inn in NYC. This was a dark, seedy, crowded bar, operating without a liquor license. About half the bars in NYC at this time would also fit this description less the openly gay men, lesbians, other sexually suspect patrons, and police harassment. Adding to this intrigue  the joint was owned by the Mafia.

In the early-morning  hours of Saturday, June 28, 1969, nine policemen entered the Stonewall Inn. They arrested the employees for selling liquor without a license, and roughed up many of the patrons as they cleared the bar. They took several people into custody in accordance with a New York criminal statute that authorized the arrest of anyone not wearing at least three articles of gender-appropriate clothing. A rather loose wording there, however, a difficult task for most lesbians and transvestites to comply with I would think.

The crowd in the street watched quietly as Stonewall’s employees were arrested, but when three transvestites and a lesbian were forced into the paddy wagon. The crowd enticed by one of the trannys began throwing bottles at the police. The officers were forced to take shelter inside the establishment. Two policemen were slightly injured before reinforcements arrived to disperse the mob. Then the protest, spilled over into the neighboring streets, and order was not restored until the deployment of New York’s riot police. However, for the following several days, there were demonstrations led by purse wielding transvestites. I have been told a lot of the purses contained a brick or two.

This is regarded by many as history’s first major protest on behalf of equal rights for homosexuals. Which led to the formation of GLF (“Gay Liberation Front.”) Jimmy Carter in one of his first presidential moves invited GLF representatives to the White House for equal rights conference.

So the LGBT movement was basically started as the result of three transvestites and a lesbian being arrested in NYC in 1969.

Suzzie (me) missed all that Stonewall fun as she relocated to Atlanta from the New York area in 1967. However, she has earned a few merit badges along the way. She has kicked her heels off and kicked butt more than once. She has also kicked her heels off and ran like hell a time or two. However, for the most part, she pretty much stood her ground. And like one of Suzzie’s girlfriends used to say, “if they don’t like the way we dress they don’t have to look at us.”

While Stonewall is often cited as the first major LGBT riot there was an incident before that in San Francisco at Compton’s Cafeteria.

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Tags: featured, History, Stonewall Inn, Stonewall Riots

Category: Transgender History